GREEN PEA CUTLETS
One pint of young, shelled peas, some mint, 2 small onions, 2¹⁄₂ ozs. butter, 1 oz. flour, ¹⁄₄ pint milk, 1 whole egg, 1 raw yolk, breadcrumbs, 4 ozs. rice, 1 small saltspoonful powdered saffron, 1¹⁄₂ ozs. grated cheese, 1 pint colourless vegetable stock, seasoning, thick brown sauce.
One pint of young, shelled peas, some mint, 2 small onions, 2¹⁄₂ ozs. butter, 1 oz. flour, ¹⁄₄ pint milk, 1 whole egg, 1 raw yolk, breadcrumbs, 4 ozs. rice, 1 small saltspoonful powdered saffron, 1¹⁄₂ ozs. grated cheese, 1 pint colourless vegetable stock, seasoning, thick brown sauce.
Method.—Put the peas into a saucepan of boiling water, to which a piece of mint, some salt, sugar, and a pinch of soda have been added, and let them cook steadily until they are done. Boil one onion in salted water until it is tender, then drain it well and rub it through a sieve. Melt one ounce of the butter in a sauté pan and stir in the flour; moisten by degrees with the milk, stirring quickly until the sauce is perfectly smooth and very thick, then add the yolk of egg and sieved onion; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, add about a quarter of a teaspoonful of chopped mint, and lastly the peas (which should be well drained), and spread the mixture on a dish to get cold. Take a small portion at a time and form into the shape of a little cutlet on a floured board; insert a piece of macaroni at the end to represent the bone, and when the mixture has allbeen used, brush them over with beaten egg and cover with finely-sifted breadcrumbs. When the latter have had time to dry, fry the cutlets in boiling oil, and serve round a support of rice prepared as follows, and send to the table with a boat of thick brown sauce flavoured with Madeira. Put the rice into a saucepan of cold, salted water, bring it gradually to boiling point, and let it boil rapidly for six minutes, then rinse it in a colander under the cold water tap, and drain it well. Mince the remaining onion and put it into a stewpan containing one ounce of butter, and let it simmer gently until it begins to get soft, but it must not acquire any colour, then add the rice, saffron, and stock; when the latter has boiled, draw the pan to the side of the stove where the rice can simmer steadily until it is quite soft; season it well, add the cheese, which should be dry and mild, and half an ounce of butter divided into tiny pieces, and use as directed; the saffron can of course be omitted if the flavour is disliked, and some chopped parsley substituted for it.